Finding the Hidden Participant

Certain social groups are often difficult for researchers to access because of their social or physical location, vulnerability, or otherwise hidden nature. This unique review article based on both the small body of relevant literature and our own experiences as researchers is meant as a guide for t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International journal of qualitative methods Vol. 14; no. 5
Main Authors:	Ellard-Gray, Amy, Jeffrey, Nicole K, Choubak Melisa, Crann, Sara E
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Edmonton Sage Publications Ltd 01-12-2015 SAGE Publishing
Subjects:	Dissemination Participation Psychological research Qualitative research Researchers Snowball sampling Social groups Social research Vulnerability
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Certain social groups are often difficult for researchers to access because of their social or physical location, vulnerability, or otherwise hidden nature. This unique review article based on both the small body of relevant literature and our own experiences as researchers is meant as a guide for those seeking to include hard-to-reach, hidden, and vulnerable populations in research. We make recommendations for research process starting from early stages of study design to dissemination of study results. Topics covered include participant mistrust of the research process; social, psychological, and physical risks to participation; participant resource constraints; and challenges inherent in nonprobability sampling, snowball sampling, and derived rapport. This article offers broadly accessible solutions for qualitative researchers across social science disciplines attempting to research a variety of different populations.
ISSN:	1609-4069 1609-4069
DOI:	10.1177/1609406915621420